Texas A&M System implementing outsourcing at other campuses

[TexasTowelie]

The Texas A&M University System has announced system-wide outsourcing that will privatize nearly a thousand landscaping, building maintenance and custodial services jobs across the state. Officials said the move will save the 16 affected A&M system campuses a combined $92 million over the 12-year life of the contract.

Chancellor John Sharp on Wednesday announced that the system has formalized letters of intent with SSC Service Solutions, a subsidiary of Compass Group North America, the same company that netted the largest outsourcing contract in system history last year, at $270 million, for providing similar services to Texas A&M University and system buildings within Brazos County. The company provides facilities support services to more than 100 educational organizations nationwide.

"We intend for the A&M System to not only be the most efficient, taxpayer-friendly system in the state, but to do it in a way that enhances our core mission of teaching and researching," Sharp said.

The letters of intent are non-binding, but they all but seal the deal, system officials said. The individual contracts should be signed in the upcoming weeks.

More at http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/article_581a5c56-a751-56ca-bbb0-27367dfcf42b.html .

[font color=maroon]This move will transfer 920 employees from the state to the private sector. The only campus in the system that isn't affected is in McAllen. The comments for this story are also interesting to review.[/font]

[Skittles]

1. be leery of the Texas version of "tax friendly"

what it means is workers will be part-timers working minimum wage with no benefits

[TexasTowelie]

2. I've said it before on DU, but this bears repeating.

During the 1990's I was active in the Texas Public Employees Association while Sharp was comptroller. He may be a Democrat, but he was not a friend to state employees.

He was the first comptroller that made cost of living raises contingent upon budgetary conditions as they were evaluated on a month-by-month basis and the pay raises required his authorization. There was one biennium when the Legislature approved 3% pay raises for each year. I don't remember the specific details, but I believe that we received 2% about four months into the budget and then we received 1% in the eleventh month. I think we received 1% early in the second year, but didn't get the remaining 2% until the last month and state employees thought he wouldn't ever grant it which would have meant losing that increase forever. That new method created havoc on determining how much to withhold from the paychecks and cost most of the employees a few thousand dollars each during that biennium. In addition, the employees had to check their accounts every month since the payment amount varied each month due to this issue and leveling of FICA taxes.

I sat out the race when Sharp ran against Perry for Lt. Governor in 1998 because I just couldn't vote for him. He lost by a small margin and Perry was promoted up the ranks. It may not have been the beginning of the demise of the Democratic party in Texas, but the fact that he was on that ballot and the one in 2002 when he lost to Dewhurst has hurt Democratic candidates ever since.

Please no hate mails, it's just my humble opinion.